Reliability of U.S.D.A. beef carcass yield grades in reflecting differences in retail yields

Retail cut-out and U.S.D.A. yield grade data were obtained on 1,121 carcasses of steers from Hereford and Angus dams mated artificially to Hereford, Angus, Jersey, Limousin, South Devon, Simmental and Charolais bulls. Calves were weaned when approximately 215 days old, conditioned 28 days, fed an average of 218 days after weaning before being slaughtered in a commercial slaughter plant. Carcass cooler data were obtained and the right side of each carcass was cut into closely trimmed, essentially boneless retail cuts at the KSU food service building. Beef yield grades do reflect definite differences in retail yields. Statistical tests indicated less than one chance in 1,000 that such differences occurred by chance and that the yield grade differences were real. The average difference in retail product percentage between yield grades was 4.6 percent. The average difference in fat trim percentage was 5.6 percent. For 700-pound carcasses, that\u27s a difference of 39.2 pounds of waste fat, or 32.2 pounds of retail product. The difference in bone percentage would account for the other 7 pounds

Of Research reviews and practice guides: Translating rapidly growing research on adolescent literacy into updated practice recommendations.

The demand for evidence-based instructional practices has driven a large supply of research on adolescent literacy. Documenting this supply, Baye, Inns, Lake, and Slavin’s 2019 article in Reading Research Quarterly synthesized far more studies, with far more rigorous methodology, than had ever been collected before. What does this mean for practice? Inspired by this article, I investigated how this synthesis compared with the 2008 U.S. Institute of Education Sciences practice guide for adolescent literacy. I also include two contemporary documents for context: Herrera, Truckenmiller, and Foorman’s (2016) review and the U.K. Education Endowment Foundation’s 2019 practice guide for secondary schools. I first examine how these documents define adolescent, reading, and evidence, and propose more inclusive definitions. I then compare their respective evidence bases, finding that the quality and quantity of evidence have dramatically changed. Only one of the 34 studies in the 2008 U.S. practice guide met Baye et al.’s inclusion criteria in 2019, and the average sample size in Baye et al.’s studies was 22 times as large as those in the 2008 U.S. practice guide. I also examine the potential implications for a new practice guide’s instructional recommendations and comment on the expansion of research in technology, disciplinary literacy, and writing—topics scarcely covered in the 2008 U.S. practice guide but which have been extensively researched since then. Finally, I call for revision of the U.S. practice guide and the establishment of standing committees on adolescent literacy to help educators translate the latest research findings into updated practices

Formal System Processing of Juveniles: Effects on Delinquency

Justice practitioners have tremendous discretion on how to handle juvenile offenders. Police officers, district attorneys, juvenile court intake officers, juvenile and family court judges, and other officials can decide whether the juvenile should be “officially processed” by the juvenile justice system, diverted from the system to a program, counseling or some other services, or to do nothing at all (release the juvenile altogether). An important policy question is which strategy leads to the best outcomes for juveniles. This is an important question in the United States, but many other nations are concerned with the decision to formally process or divert juvenile offenders. There have been a number of randomized experiments in the juvenile courts that have examined the impact of juvenile system processing that should be gathered together in a systematic fashion to provide rigorous evidence about the impact of this decision on subsequent offending by juveniles. Our objective is to answer the question: Does juvenile system processing reduce subsequent delinquency? Based on the evidence presented in this report, juvenile system processing appears to not have a crime control effect, and across all measures appears to increase delinquency. This was true across measures of prevalence, incidence, severity, and self-report. Given the additional financial costs associated with system processing (especially when compared to doing nothing) and the lack of evidence for any public safety benefit, jurisdictions should review their policies regarding the handling of juveniles

Culture, Burnout, and Engagement: A Meta-Analysis on National Cultural Values as Moderators in JD-R Theory

Despite prominence and increasing application of the Job Demands‐Resources (JD‐R) theory across national contexts, the role of culture has not yet been systematically explored. We conducted a meta‐analysis of 132 independent samples from 120 studies across 5 global regions (total N = 101,073) to fill this void. Our paper responds to long‐standing concerns around neglecting differences in the relationships of workplace factors with burnout and engagement across national cultures by testing for a moderating role within JD‐R theory. Results suggest strong support for the direct job demands‐burnout and job resources‐engagement pathways. Regarding the role of culture, our study reveals moderating roles for five out of six cultural dimensions using Hofstede’s framework. Interestingly, these cultural dimensions present a moderating impact towards relationships with either job demands or job resources, yet not both. Our findings offer a valuable starting point for further theoretical developments that can impact international business and global mobility. While these insights suggest a role of national cultural context in JD‐R studies, sensitivity analyses showed that the findings were only partly stable

Early weaning in Northern Great Plains beef cattle production systems: I. Performance and reproductive response in range beef cows

A study was conducted to determine if early weaning spring born calves can be an alternative management strategy during drought and if early weaning facilitates rebreeding of young cows. Our objectives were to determine effects of early weaning at the start of breeding on cow body weight, body condition score, and reproductive performance with or without estrous synchronization and AI in two herds in the Northern Great Plains, USA. In Exp.1and 2, crossbred cows were stratified within cow age by postpartum interval, and calf sex, and were assigned within strata to one of two weaning treatments at the start of breeding when calves averaged 80-d of age: (1) early weaned (permanent calf removal); or (2) no weaning (calves suckled cows until normal weaning approximately 210-d of age). Cows in Exp.1 were exposed to natural service whereas cows in Exp.2 were exposed to estrous synchronization for AI using a CIDR for 7 d with GnRH at CIDR insertion and PGF2α at CIDR removal followed by natural service. In Exp.3, cows were stratified within breed by age, postpartum interval, calf sex, and AI sire and were assigned within strata to one of two weaning treatments at the start of breeding, as described for Exp.1and 2. Estrous cycles of all cows were synchronized for AI using one of two protocols including 14 d CIDR + PGF2α 16 d following CIDR removal (primiparous cows) or a CIDR insert for 7 d with GnRH at CIDR insertion and PGF2α at CIDR removal (multiparous cows). Cows in Exp.2 and 3 were bred by AI approximately 12 h after observation of estrus or by timed AI at 80 h after PGF2α concurrent administration of GnRH. Artificial insemination (Exp.2), breeding season pregnancy rate, and day of conception was not influenced (P\u3e0.10) by weaning treatment for Exp.1and 2. However, early weaned cows in Exp.3 had 12.0% greater (P=0.03) AI pregnancy rates and conception occurred 3.78 d earlier (P=0.03) than normal weaned cows. At the time of normal weaning, cows that had their calves removed at early weaning were heavier and had greater body condition (P\u3c0.01)than normal weaned cows in each experiment. We conclude that early-weaning beef cows at the start of the breeding season improved BW gain and BCS allowing those females to enter winter in greater BCS then NW cows, but improvements in reproductive performance were inconsistent

Early weaning in Northern Great Plains beef cattle production systems: II. Development of replacement heifers weaned at 80 or 215 d of age

Studies were conducted to evaluate effects of weaning and subsequent heifer development treatments within two herds located in the Northern Great Plains, USA. Heifer calves from predominantly Angus x Hereford dams were stratified within damage and calving date (Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory (LARRL), Miles City, MT, USA; n=328) and randomly assigned within study and strata to one of three weaning treatments. Heifer calves from Angus and Angus x Simmental dams (n=167; Judith Gap (JG),MT,USA) were stratified within breed group by age, calving date, and AI sire. Heifer calves either remained with their dams until time of normal weaning (NW; approximately 213 d of age) or were early weaned (approximately 80 d of age) on to one of two early weaning (EW) diets. Heifer calves assigned to EW treatments received one of the following diets: (1)17.5% CP (69% RDP and 7.53 MJ/kg NEm or (2) 17.5% CP (57% RDP and 7.69MJ/kg NEm). At the time of normal weaning, heifers from LARRL (2005 and 2006) were further divided into two heifer development (HD) diet treatments that differed only in proportion of RDP: (1) 12.5% CP (83% RDP and 6.28MJ/kg NEm); or (2) 12.5% CP (72% RDP and 6.28MJ/kg NEm). Heifers from JG were fed a common heifer development diet. Heifer BW at time of normal weaning revealed that EW heifers were heavier, regardless of type of protein delivered by EW treatments (P\u3c0.10). Heifer BW at the end of the development period was greater for EW heifers at LARRL (P\u3c0.01) and similar for JG heifers (P=0.35) regardless of weaning treatment. Heifers at LARRL that received EW treatments had a greater percentage pubertal (P\u3c0.06) from 39 to 2 d before breeding compared to NW heifers. Pregnancy rates were not influenced by early weaning or heifer development treatments at LARRL (P\u3e0.05); however, a greater percentage of EW heifers became pregnant throughout the breeding season at JG (P=0.03). These experiments demonstrate early weaning is a viable option to develop and breed heifers in extensive beef production systems in the Northern Great Plains, USA. When production may be jeopardized by environmental conditions (e.g., drought), early weaning calves will not impair a heifers opportunity to be retained as replacement females as early weaned heifers have similar or greater reproductive success than heifers that are normal weaned

Performance and carcass characteristics of three groups of crossbred steers fed to the same energy efficiency endpoint

Sixteen Maine Anjou and 16 Gelbvieh steer calves from Angus or Hereford crossbred dams, and 16 Hereford x Angus crossbred steers were fed the same ration in individual pens until they reached a weekly energy efficiency endpoint of 10.3 lb. of feed per pound of gain above their maintenance requirements

Reliability of U.S.D.A. beef carcass yield grades in reflecting differences in retail yields

1776-1976 "Buffalo to Beef" is known as Cattlemen’s Day, 1976Retail cut-out and U.S.D.A. yield grade data were obtained on 1,121 carcasses of steers from Hereford and Angus dams mated artificially to Hereford, Angus, Jersey, Limousin, South Devon, Simmental and Charolais bulls. Calves were weaned when approximately 215 days old, conditioned 28 days, fed an average of 218 days after weaning before being slaughtered in a commercial slaughter plant. Carcass cooler data were obtained and the right side of each carcass was cut into closely trimmed, essentially boneless retail cuts at the KSU food service building. Beef yield grades do reflect definite differences in retail yields. Statistical tests indicated less than one chance in 1,000 that such differences occurred by chance and that the yield grade differences were real. The average difference in retail product percentage between yield grades was 4.6 percent. The average difference in fat trim percentage was 5.6 percent. For 700-pound carcasses, that's a difference of 39.2 pounds of waste fat, or 32.2 pounds of retail product. The difference in bone percentage would account for the other 7 pounds

Early weaning in Northern Great Plains beef cattle production systems: III. Steer weaning, finishing and carcass characteristics

Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of early weaning steer calves on BW gain, feedlot performance, and carcass characteristics in two herds located in the Northern Great Plains, USA. Steer calves from predominantly Angus x Hereford dams were stratified within damage and calving date (Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory (LARRL), Miles City, MT, USA; n=354)and randomly assigned to one of three weaning treatments. In addition, steer calves from Angus and Angus x Simmental dams (n=200; Judith Gap (JG), MT, USA) were stratified within breed group by age, calving date, and AI sire. Steer calves either remained with their dams until normal weaning (NW) at approximately 213-d of age or were early weaned at approximately 80-d of age on to one of two early weaning (EW) diets. Steer calves assigned to EW treatments received one of the following diets: (1)17.5% CP (69% RDP and 7.53 MJ/kg NEm); or (2)17.5% CP (57% RDP and 7.69MJ/kg NEm). At time of normal weaning all LARRL steers were gathered and brought into pens at LARRL and held for 22 (2005) or 28-d (2006) before being sold to a commercial feedlot. Sire-identified steers from JG were sent to the University of Illinois for a finishing trial following a 28-d holding period. Steers that were EW were heavier (PPP=0.79) regardless of weaning treatment whereas sire-identified JG steers that received EW treatment were harvested at a younger age (PP=0.05; upper 2/3 choice or better) than NW treated steers (